Update 5-4-04


Hi,

Three questions about the Booker Gibson Music Award, a belated answer, some really late photo links, and some other stuff.

First, from Denise Frango Baxter: I may have missed reading a newsletter, but do you need contributions for the Booker Gibson Music Award? If so how do we contribute?

Similarly, from Jay Kinder: I am so happy that the Booker Gibson Music Award was approved. Is this a scholarship or just a plaque for the winner? I thought it was a scholarship, but I did not see anything about donations.

And from Marilyn Horowitz Goldhammer: I can’t remember if you told us where to send contributions, so please let me know. Thanks.

[Rich -- The answer, as I just wrote Denise, Jay, and Marilyn: Yep, we could use contributions for Booker's award. I just plowed ahead with it, knowing it was a good thing, and figuring the contributions would catch up with us eventually.
     We're going to work it the same way we're working the Vince Tampio Theater award. We've promised the folks at South that we'll give them 500 dollars a year and guarantee the award for ten years. People can either make a one-time contribution or pledge to send a certain amount to me each year, and I'll send a single check annually to South for each award. I checked with Paul DeMartino, our unofficial class accountant, and he said I don't have to set up any kind of trust if I'm simply collecting the donations each year and sending them on to South. And I'll keep the donors regularly informed. So far, people are pledging anywhere between 10 and 50 bucks annually and making one-time gifts of similar amounts.
     I'll put all this in next week's newsletter, too. The award idea just came up and was approved, very quickly, so we never really publicized the details. But I knew we had the Tampio award as a blueprint.
     Again, thanks, and you can send a check to me, by June 1st, at: 23030 Dolorosa Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. ]

Unrelated to any of that, from Larry Rugen: Army -- What Army? Not sure who plugged in the "Army," but it was not from me. US Air Force all the way! Someone had to load those nukes on the F4 Phantoms, and that was our crew. My wife still thinks I'm hot stuff; I just have not told her why!
     As far as Branson vs. Las Vegas: If you want a great reunion that's Branson; if you want to gamble, that's Las Vegas. Just thought some people might be interested.

 Only tangentially related, from Linda Iaquinto O'Hare: Hi, all. Dennis and I are excited about the reunion next year. We thought it was great in New York, but we will go along with whatever the majority decides. I may have trouble going to an out-of-town meeting place though, because of my work responsibilities at that time of year.
     I also think it's great about Mr. Gibson. What a wonderful man. He truly has enriched the lives of all of his students.
     Den and I are new grandparents again. Our daughter, Dorene, and her husband, Tom, are the proud parents of a baby girl, Maggie Elizabeth. Maggie is our seventh grandchild and the first girl. Needless to say, we are thrilled, and so thankful to God for this precious gift.

The tardy photo links: For Marc Jonas' bar mitzvah picture and the shot of the Green Acres Father-Son Cub Scout dinner, go to the vssouth65 home page photo section, then click on More Marc Jonas Photos. For some cyber-reason, the uploaded bar mitzvah picture is far fuzzier than the one Marc sent, and I had to shrink the scout shot to squeeze it on the page, so that's a little fuzzy, too.
For the Nudelmans' sixth grade class photo, again go to the home page photo section, then to Brooklyn Avenue and Harbor Road pictures, the scroll to the bottom, to Sixth Grade With the Nudelmans. The teacher's name is Mr. Lorino.

An observation, from Amy Bently, class of '71: I have met South's Principal Stephen Lando at Debbie Oppenheimer's "shindig" at the high school about 3 years ago (they honored her for her documentary Kindertransport). Mr. Lando is very personable -- and handsome.

Finally, some more travel notes, from my friend Melody Eckhart: Singapore continues to delight, but, as with any place, it has its challenges. We sometimes feel discrimination, a strange occurrence, and a topic so often bantered around in the United States. But when you are the victim, it really sinks in. I have had grocery lines close when I got to the front and watched local people on either side of me served in a restaurant before my party, even though we sat down first. The banks here are also exacting. I’ve seen checks returned because the signature did not look just like the one on file. In the US, checks get cashed even without a signature, and I’ve signed my husband Ken’s name so many times that if the bank looked at his actual signature, they’d probably think it a fraud.
     Despite my worries about driving, I passed my test, though -- unlike most people -- I started off with 6 points on my license. Yes, I was speeding, but don’t tell my children. A person is allowed 12 points all together, so I have to be really good for the next six months or, as I told Ken, I get a driver! Ken, now, let’s see ... that would be the wussy who has not taken his test?
     We have been taking advantage of opportunities to travel. Everything is so close, although sometimes the flights are not convenient. We did go to Bali for a long weekend in January, and the country was not what we’d expected. We stayed in an older bungalow hotel in Sanur, on the beach on the east side of the island, away from the surfer, night-crazed crowds of Kuta. The bungalow was charming, with a winding stairway to a little loft with two daybeds. Downstairs was a king-sized bed with mosquito netting, and there was a collection of cabinets for clothes. The house also had an outdoor shower. To go through the front door, we both had to duck, but it made Ken look like a giant. The top of the door maybe came up to his shoulders. Wonderful old statues were everywhere, and we had a great large, round frog in our front yard. The beach had a sidewalk of sorts, that went long distances in each direction, and we ran it early before the sun made it too hot. The rest of the time, we hung around in our sarongs on the beach.
     Our last weekend trip was really a short drive, all of maybe 10 minutes, to an island south of Singapore called Sentosa. The best way to describe it is a combination of Biscayne Island and a wannabe Disneyland. It does have a great resort, with relaxing pools and one of the best restaurants in Singapore, overlooking the harbor. Throw in a massage, and Ken is happy. Finally, we went to a great elephant show and got up close to some of the more friendly elephants -- they like to hug with their trunks. We saw a beautiful orchid farm, had an opportunity to walk in a rice paddy, watched water buffalo, and witnessed a cultural dance and festivity show. Still, my favorite spot was a reserve where the monkeys frolicked and played at your feet.


The home page: http://hometown.aol.com/vssouth65


Rich